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Man's Best Friend
A failed actress must decide how much she will give up—and what lies she will overlook—in order to live a life of luxury in this irresistibly suspenseful and slightly surreal debut that is Talented Mr. Ripley meets Nightbitch.
Ever since her year as a scholarship student amongst the ultra-wealthy at a Manhattan private school, El knows what it is like to feel rich—to feel chosen. And being not chosen is her current living at age 30, she has given up her dream of becoming a famous actress, she has no passions, no great love, nothing to look forward to.
Then El meets a mysterious trust-fund Cambridge grad who holds the keys to the world she has long dreamed of. Bryce may not be particularly good-looking, charming, or interesting, but he has chosen her. El allows herself to be lulled by the ease and safety that his wealth provides, becoming Bryce’s little pet, and giving up her job, friends, and apartment in short order. But when a series of disturbing and slightly surreal events reveal that Bryce is not quite what he seems, but something entirely more sinister, El face the consequences when his darkness—and her own—are unleashed.
Ever since her year as a scholarship student amongst the ultra-wealthy at a Manhattan private school, El knows what it is like to feel rich—to feel chosen. And being not chosen is her current living at age 30, she has given up her dream of becoming a famous actress, she has no passions, no great love, nothing to look forward to.
Then El meets a mysterious trust-fund Cambridge grad who holds the keys to the world she has long dreamed of. Bryce may not be particularly good-looking, charming, or interesting, but he has chosen her. El allows herself to be lulled by the ease and safety that his wealth provides, becoming Bryce’s little pet, and giving up her job, friends, and apartment in short order. But when a series of disturbing and slightly surreal events reveal that Bryce is not quite what he seems, but something entirely more sinister, El face the consequences when his darkness—and her own—are unleashed.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published May 14, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
February 14, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
Man's Best Friend.
I liked the title more than I did the story but that's no shock.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
El is a failed actress looking for something...but what that is she's not sure.
When she meets a mysterious man named Bryce, she's quickly drawn into his privileged world.
But when she discovers his secrets, she has to make a choice about her future and what she really wants in life.
El is not a likable character; she's not witty or charming, smart or clever.
But she's honest about her complacency, about her desire to do less, sacrificing her morals and values for a life of leisure.
The narrative was boring, tedious, filled with bratty privileged people hooking up, boozing, doing drugs, trying to sound smarter than they really are by debating whatever hashtag is trending on social media.
The story is neither suspenseful or compelling; this is not a mystery or thriller so much as whiny people whining about how hard life is while they dash off to the Hamptons or Paris and guzzle thousands in booze and snort more thousands in drugs up their noses.
Bryce is pathetic, a loser, and not surprisingly, a good match for El.
I accept El's reason for accepting Bryce's marriage proposal though the ending wouldn't work if Bryce wasn't a loser.
But then, people have gotten married for less.
I liked the title more than I did the story but that's no shock.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
El is a failed actress looking for something...but what that is she's not sure.
When she meets a mysterious man named Bryce, she's quickly drawn into his privileged world.
But when she discovers his secrets, she has to make a choice about her future and what she really wants in life.
El is not a likable character; she's not witty or charming, smart or clever.
But she's honest about her complacency, about her desire to do less, sacrificing her morals and values for a life of leisure.
The narrative was boring, tedious, filled with bratty privileged people hooking up, boozing, doing drugs, trying to sound smarter than they really are by debating whatever hashtag is trending on social media.
The story is neither suspenseful or compelling; this is not a mystery or thriller so much as whiny people whining about how hard life is while they dash off to the Hamptons or Paris and guzzle thousands in booze and snort more thousands in drugs up their noses.
Bryce is pathetic, a loser, and not surprisingly, a good match for El.
I accept El's reason for accepting Bryce's marriage proposal though the ending wouldn't work if Bryce wasn't a loser.
But then, people have gotten married for less.
August 2, 2023
Man’s Best Friend is a lot of things- at times light hearted and at other times, very dark, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. El is a 29 year old wannabe actor turned bakery employee, directionless and seeking validation through men. She struggles with feelings of worthlessness and an inability to let go of her high school insecurities and toxic friendships. The characters in this book are familiar- the unlikeable and lost protagonist, the wealthy and vapid friends, the mysterious love interest- but the writing is really good and the social commentary provides a fresh take on a tired archetype.
After a questionable meet-cute with a wealthy Englishman, El steps directly and willingly into the void of an all consuming relationship. She muses over the axiom “do you want to be right or happy,” isolating herself from healthy relationships and blazing a path of self-destruction. There are so many moments of clever writing and biting social criticism. One of my favorite gems is when El confront the righteous rage of a very wealthy ally to the working poor.
El is deeply unlikeable and that is what makes her such a fascinating read. She lives in the dangerous territory of almost good enough. She fails to create or nurture real relationships, in part, because she is afraid of rejection. I wasn’t necessarily rooting for her, but I was invested in her story, nonetheless.
I least enjoyed the dog related harbingers placed throughout the story. I get what the author is trying to say, but I didn’t enjoy the metaphors- they were too obvious and forced, taking away from a more interesting discussion on the absurdity of practicing ethical consumption under capitalism and the tenuous line between romance and abuse. The prologue reads like a completely different story so if you do not enjoy it, keep reading- it gets better.
After a questionable meet-cute with a wealthy Englishman, El steps directly and willingly into the void of an all consuming relationship. She muses over the axiom “do you want to be right or happy,” isolating herself from healthy relationships and blazing a path of self-destruction. There are so many moments of clever writing and biting social criticism. One of my favorite gems is when El confront the righteous rage of a very wealthy ally to the working poor.
El is deeply unlikeable and that is what makes her such a fascinating read. She lives in the dangerous territory of almost good enough. She fails to create or nurture real relationships, in part, because she is afraid of rejection. I wasn’t necessarily rooting for her, but I was invested in her story, nonetheless.
I least enjoyed the dog related harbingers placed throughout the story. I get what the author is trying to say, but I didn’t enjoy the metaphors- they were too obvious and forced, taking away from a more interesting discussion on the absurdity of practicing ethical consumption under capitalism and the tenuous line between romance and abuse. The prologue reads like a completely different story so if you do not enjoy it, keep reading- it gets better.
May 23, 2024
This was a really gripping read. In some ways it reminded me of Emma Clines’s The Guest, but with a little more bite to it. Both books deal with a main character longing to be part of a wealthy lifestyle that they weren’t born into. Both books feature the main character in a questionable relationship with a man. The man in this book is quite alarming and their relationship is certainly not healthy. And in both books, the main characters are drifting through life with no specific goals in sight.
There’s a lot to delve into with this book and I found El and her transformation to be fascinating. She’s not an easy person to like but she’s relatable. There is also the presence of dogs throughout this story and what they signify for our main character.
There were several different directions this book could have gone and I was pleasantly surprised with how things wrapped up. It was unexpected and I think the ending was in line with what type of person El is and who she wants to be. And unlike The Guest, we get concrete answers with this book. Overall, this was an absorbing read and a great debut. This is def more of a lit fiction book though and not a thriller.
There’s a lot to delve into with this book and I found El and her transformation to be fascinating. She’s not an easy person to like but she’s relatable. There is also the presence of dogs throughout this story and what they signify for our main character.
There were several different directions this book could have gone and I was pleasantly surprised with how things wrapped up. It was unexpected and I think the ending was in line with what type of person El is and who she wants to be. And unlike The Guest, we get concrete answers with this book. Overall, this was an absorbing read and a great debut. This is def more of a lit fiction book though and not a thriller.
May 1, 2024
thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the advanced digital copy of this one.
this one comes out on May 14 2024.
--
i think this one was my bad. with comps like Nightbitch and Talented Mr. Ripley, it's not a surprise to me that i was drawn in, but this turned out to be a story that centered money and those stories often frustrate me, especially with no commentary about how poisonous the few having excessive wealth can be to both their own emotional states and obviously the huge toll it takes on society.
el is resourceless, always coming in late for her bakery job, and simply a sad mess. i found this relatable, though i also think something about the way this story was written made me feel like i was meant to feel sorry FOR her instead of putting me in a place of solidarity WITH her.
anyway - el has a chance to reconnect with old, super-wealthy "friends". the quotations being operative because there's nothing authentic about these old friendships. el is miserable, constantly comparing herself, and just generally obsessed with all the things that she doesn't have, namely fame and money via an acting career that never was.
el loses her ID at the party where she met up with her old friends, casually cutting lines of cocaine in a bathroom. it falls in the hands of a guy named bryce who coerces her into a date so that she can collect it. bryce from the start you know is gross and a manipulator and i think intuitively el would have to had she stopped focusing on status-climbing for ten seconds.
so, i don't know. ultimately less of a thriller, just a book about insufferable rich people doing drugs and drinking and partying and a girl who is very broken down by the inequity of having to work like most of the rest of us refusing to make a singular good decision when options are presented to her.
honestly, cover alone, i thought this was going to be unhinged girl lit where we get a hot woman covered in blood. absolutely my bad.
i suspect this will be a banger for those that love the work of emma cline, though it certainly wasn't for me.
this one comes out on May 14 2024.
--
i think this one was my bad. with comps like Nightbitch and Talented Mr. Ripley, it's not a surprise to me that i was drawn in, but this turned out to be a story that centered money and those stories often frustrate me, especially with no commentary about how poisonous the few having excessive wealth can be to both their own emotional states and obviously the huge toll it takes on society.
el is resourceless, always coming in late for her bakery job, and simply a sad mess. i found this relatable, though i also think something about the way this story was written made me feel like i was meant to feel sorry FOR her instead of putting me in a place of solidarity WITH her.
anyway - el has a chance to reconnect with old, super-wealthy "friends". the quotations being operative because there's nothing authentic about these old friendships. el is miserable, constantly comparing herself, and just generally obsessed with all the things that she doesn't have, namely fame and money via an acting career that never was.
el loses her ID at the party where she met up with her old friends, casually cutting lines of cocaine in a bathroom. it falls in the hands of a guy named bryce who coerces her into a date so that she can collect it. bryce from the start you know is gross and a manipulator and i think intuitively el would have to had she stopped focusing on status-climbing for ten seconds.
so, i don't know. ultimately less of a thriller, just a book about insufferable rich people doing drugs and drinking and partying and a girl who is very broken down by the inequity of having to work like most of the rest of us refusing to make a singular good decision when options are presented to her.
honestly, cover alone, i thought this was going to be unhinged girl lit where we get a hot woman covered in blood. absolutely my bad.
i suspect this will be a banger for those that love the work of emma cline, though it certainly wasn't for me.
February 28, 2024
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.
Chapter 1 begins with a story about a dog who loves its owner and lives a perfectly perfect life, but finds itself asking what if. What if it were better somewhere else? What if I were loved more? What if someone paid more attention to me? What if I were cared about more? Is life always so mundane and patterned? While this threw me off in the beginning, I quickly realized that this was a metaphor what was El was going through in her life. El no longer is happy with her path and being a loyal servant to someone. She wants more.
That being said, I honestly did not connect with this book like I had hoped that I would. It was a little all over the place for me. I was confused with the canine perspective for a good portion of the book. I probably should have read other review first, but I prefer to go in blind and decide for myself. A book where living on the fringe of the rich and wanting more than she has – will put of a lot of toxic vibes and that may be great for other readers. I expect this book to have a wide variety of reviews. It will have a love/hate relationship with readers.
Chapter 1 begins with a story about a dog who loves its owner and lives a perfectly perfect life, but finds itself asking what if. What if it were better somewhere else? What if I were loved more? What if someone paid more attention to me? What if I were cared about more? Is life always so mundane and patterned? While this threw me off in the beginning, I quickly realized that this was a metaphor what was El was going through in her life. El no longer is happy with her path and being a loyal servant to someone. She wants more.
That being said, I honestly did not connect with this book like I had hoped that I would. It was a little all over the place for me. I was confused with the canine perspective for a good portion of the book. I probably should have read other review first, but I prefer to go in blind and decide for myself. A book where living on the fringe of the rich and wanting more than she has – will put of a lot of toxic vibes and that may be great for other readers. I expect this book to have a wide variety of reviews. It will have a love/hate relationship with readers.
January 15, 2024
This was a pretty quick read but I had mixed feelings about it. Bryce really didn’t seem that bad and a lot of El’s responses to his behavior didn’t seem to fit the situation. El isn’t really a likable character but you also don’t hate her. She’s just a little bit boring. Her personality felt confusing - she was supposed to be the sad single 30 year old who gave up her dream of being an actor but was also described as confident and independent. It felt contradictory. The introduction of her 2 sets of friends from college and middle school didn’t really flow and felt clunky. The parts about her dreams weren’t necessary and the ending gave you nothing.
May 10, 2024
This was quite a book! Man’s Best Friend is a compelling story about a character who grows more unlikeable as the story progresses and offers a blistering social commentary of wealth, privilege, and poverty. Intense and clever!
It starts out fairly standard—a somewhat entitled out-of-work actress has seen how the other half lives and can no longer be content with her life. Nor does she even try to make her life anything other than what it is. As the book goes on, El prioritizes any friend she deems of higher status over those who may be closer to her, less judgmental, more reliable, and actually like El. Not only is El a terrible friend, she’s an all-around selfish and lazy person.
Am I convincing you to avoid this book? Don’t!
El is written that way intentionally, and trust me you don’t need to—nor are you expected to—like El as a person. Her single year at a private school introduced her to two girls who she believes herself to be friends with, Anna and Julia. El will drop everything to hang out with them, though as we learn, their friendship is shallow and riddled with unhealthy competition.
I found being inside El’s head endlessly fascinating. She’s such a deliciously unlikeable person. Her relationship with the wealthy, Cambridge-educated Bryce is bizarre at best. Bryce is a lovesick puppy when it comes to El, and El can barely stand him. But it turns out El isn’t the only one with a dark side.
The social commentary is blazing hot throughout, and the ending is powerful and sharp.
Thank you to Putnam Books and Penguin Random House for my copy. Opinions are my own.
It starts out fairly standard—a somewhat entitled out-of-work actress has seen how the other half lives and can no longer be content with her life. Nor does she even try to make her life anything other than what it is. As the book goes on, El prioritizes any friend she deems of higher status over those who may be closer to her, less judgmental, more reliable, and actually like El. Not only is El a terrible friend, she’s an all-around selfish and lazy person.
Am I convincing you to avoid this book? Don’t!
El is written that way intentionally, and trust me you don’t need to—nor are you expected to—like El as a person. Her single year at a private school introduced her to two girls who she believes herself to be friends with, Anna and Julia. El will drop everything to hang out with them, though as we learn, their friendship is shallow and riddled with unhealthy competition.
I found being inside El’s head endlessly fascinating. She’s such a deliciously unlikeable person. Her relationship with the wealthy, Cambridge-educated Bryce is bizarre at best. Bryce is a lovesick puppy when it comes to El, and El can barely stand him. But it turns out El isn’t the only one with a dark side.
The social commentary is blazing hot throughout, and the ending is powerful and sharp.
Thank you to Putnam Books and Penguin Random House for my copy. Opinions are my own.
May 3, 2024
Thank you, NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for my free copy for review.
"Man's Best Friend" by Alan B. Lytle presents a captivating, slow-burning narrative centered around the main character, El, as she reflects on her past and grapples with the deep-seated desire to be chosen, accepted, and respected by her affluent friends. The roots of her feelings of inferiority trace back to her father's departure, adding a poignant layer of complexity to her character. Despite facing setbacks in her acting career and working at a bakery, a pivotal night at a party in the Hamptons, hosted by her wealthy friend Julia, becomes a catalyst for profound change in her life. Here, the author deftly navigates El's response to her circumstances, including her reluctant involvement with a man she barely likes, leading to the revelation of unsettling truths.
El's character, whom I found unlikable, is depicted with a compelling mix of disturbance and depth. Her pursuit of acceptance from her wealthy friends is juxtaposed with her oversight of the meaningful connections she has already formed. Her transformative actions towards the story's conclusion mark a significant turning point. Rather than succumbing to fear, she seizes control, confronts the truth about her fiance, and ultimately gains not just wealth, but more importantly, autonomy.
This thought-provoking narrative offers a profound exploration of personal agency portraying a character's journey from vulnerability to empowerment. It delves into the intricacies of human relationships and the profound impact of self-realization.
"Man's Best Friend" by Alan B. Lytle presents a captivating, slow-burning narrative centered around the main character, El, as she reflects on her past and grapples with the deep-seated desire to be chosen, accepted, and respected by her affluent friends. The roots of her feelings of inferiority trace back to her father's departure, adding a poignant layer of complexity to her character. Despite facing setbacks in her acting career and working at a bakery, a pivotal night at a party in the Hamptons, hosted by her wealthy friend Julia, becomes a catalyst for profound change in her life. Here, the author deftly navigates El's response to her circumstances, including her reluctant involvement with a man she barely likes, leading to the revelation of unsettling truths.
El's character, whom I found unlikable, is depicted with a compelling mix of disturbance and depth. Her pursuit of acceptance from her wealthy friends is juxtaposed with her oversight of the meaningful connections she has already formed. Her transformative actions towards the story's conclusion mark a significant turning point. Rather than succumbing to fear, she seizes control, confronts the truth about her fiance, and ultimately gains not just wealth, but more importantly, autonomy.
This thought-provoking narrative offers a profound exploration of personal agency portraying a character's journey from vulnerability to empowerment. It delves into the intricacies of human relationships and the profound impact of self-realization.
May 11, 2024
Early reviews of this book had me NERVOUS, and while I do think it’s bold to compare this to Nightbitch (an all-time fave of mine), I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
El is a failed actress, living in NYC and struggling to accept her reality. She always thought she’d be rich and famous, but now she works in a bakery, watching her NYU friends make their mark on the world. When she meets an extremely wealthy man who wants to dote on her, a very wide door opens for her, offering her everything she could ever want, but is living the life she dreamed of worth it?
El is not a particularly likable character, but I was fully invested in her story. I was expecting a literary examination of the dangers of wealth (which there is), but this also turns into a sharp thriller that had me guessing El’s (and her mysterious boyfriend’s) motives the entire time.
El is a failed actress, living in NYC and struggling to accept her reality. She always thought she’d be rich and famous, but now she works in a bakery, watching her NYU friends make their mark on the world. When she meets an extremely wealthy man who wants to dote on her, a very wide door opens for her, offering her everything she could ever want, but is living the life she dreamed of worth it?
El is not a particularly likable character, but I was fully invested in her story. I was expecting a literary examination of the dangers of wealth (which there is), but this also turns into a sharp thriller that had me guessing El’s (and her mysterious boyfriend’s) motives the entire time.
May 17, 2024
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
This book was definitely not what I was expecting! There were some twists that I didn’t see coming but others that felt pretty obvious. Unfortunately, Bryce reminded me a lot of my fiancée with his sweetness and caring nature, I pray it doesn’t go any further! The characters are well developed and the story is interesting and kept me reading late into the night. I would recommend to anyone who likes psychological thrillers with a touch of romance!
This book was definitely not what I was expecting! There were some twists that I didn’t see coming but others that felt pretty obvious. Unfortunately, Bryce reminded me a lot of my fiancée with his sweetness and caring nature, I pray it doesn’t go any further! The characters are well developed and the story is interesting and kept me reading late into the night. I would recommend to anyone who likes psychological thrillers with a touch of romance!
May 18, 2024
What a perfect “Who’s afraid of little old me? You should be” novel.
This was fantastic and reminded me a lot of Anna Pitoniak’s Necessary People while still being its own unique story.
I love books that take place mostly via the protagonist’s inner monologue, provided that the inside of their head is an interesting place to be. It most definitely is in El’s case, and I loved the way she moved through the story and evolved from a person who things happen to into a person who makes things happen.
I liked the mystery element to this as well. It’s not hard to tell where it’s going, but it fits beautifully with the rest of the narrative. The writing is sharp and well-crafted, and the whole piece has both a grim realism and and dreamlike quality that play surprisingly well together.
The dog metaphor (or whatever we’re going to call it) that bookends the story didn’t work and felt contrived, but it didn’t lessen my enjoyment of an otherwise supremely smart and satisfying read.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
This was fantastic and reminded me a lot of Anna Pitoniak’s Necessary People while still being its own unique story.
I love books that take place mostly via the protagonist’s inner monologue, provided that the inside of their head is an interesting place to be. It most definitely is in El’s case, and I loved the way she moved through the story and evolved from a person who things happen to into a person who makes things happen.
I liked the mystery element to this as well. It’s not hard to tell where it’s going, but it fits beautifully with the rest of the narrative. The writing is sharp and well-crafted, and the whole piece has both a grim realism and and dreamlike quality that play surprisingly well together.
The dog metaphor (or whatever we’re going to call it) that bookends the story didn’t work and felt contrived, but it didn’t lessen my enjoyment of an otherwise supremely smart and satisfying read.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
April 12, 2024
Man’s Best Friend by Alana B. Lytle follows El, a failed actress who has had a taste of the rich life and has been chasing that high ever since. With two rich friends, she feels like an outsider. She eventually meets Bryce, a trust fund baby who just may be her ticket to a better life. But Bryce has secrets of his own that may be darker than El imagined.
If you go into this wanting a literary book with some thriller elements, I feel like you would enjoy this book. It’s pretty slow moving and the main character isn’t particularly likeable so it’s hard to feel attached to the story.
I feel like I enjoyed this well enough. After seeing it compared to The Talented Mr. Ripley, I was expecting a bit more twists and turns. This book ended up going in a way I wasn’t expecting. I think I would recommend this book to a few people but not a ton. I think the people that really love slower moving literary thrillers will enjoy this one.
I would check out more from this author because while this book is slow, I never felt like I was having a bad time or anything. The writing style was something that I really enjoyed. So I think my expectations for this story were a little high but I still had a good time.
Huge thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of its release. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
If you go into this wanting a literary book with some thriller elements, I feel like you would enjoy this book. It’s pretty slow moving and the main character isn’t particularly likeable so it’s hard to feel attached to the story.
I feel like I enjoyed this well enough. After seeing it compared to The Talented Mr. Ripley, I was expecting a bit more twists and turns. This book ended up going in a way I wasn’t expecting. I think I would recommend this book to a few people but not a ton. I think the people that really love slower moving literary thrillers will enjoy this one.
I would check out more from this author because while this book is slow, I never felt like I was having a bad time or anything. The writing style was something that I really enjoyed. So I think my expectations for this story were a little high but I still had a good time.
Huge thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of its release. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 6, 2023
3.5 stars for this one.
El is a 29yo, directionless, hurt, and...just bithcy lady, dealing with certain self realizations about life and relationships. Failed friendships, an icky relationship, abandoned father, barely there mother all have made El into a sad, lost girl.
I loved the writing and the character development of most characters. I really enjoyed disliking El. The decisions she makes, her calculated actions fueled by her failed acting skills, and her impulsive thought process all make her the toxic being of her circle. Her boyfriend, Bryce, being just as bad, gave me the major ick!!!
The reason I didn't rate this higher is because the story itself was kind of meh. Even tho there was even a murder thrown in there. Meh.
I didn't understand the sprinkled in dog references to appease the title...? Maybe it went over my head.
Thank you, Netgalley, publisher, and author for the ARC.
El is a 29yo, directionless, hurt, and...just bithcy lady, dealing with certain self realizations about life and relationships. Failed friendships, an icky relationship, abandoned father, barely there mother all have made El into a sad, lost girl.
I loved the writing and the character development of most characters. I really enjoyed disliking El. The decisions she makes, her calculated actions fueled by her failed acting skills, and her impulsive thought process all make her the toxic being of her circle. Her boyfriend, Bryce, being just as bad, gave me the major ick!!!
The reason I didn't rate this higher is because the story itself was kind of meh. Even tho there was even a murder thrown in there. Meh.
I didn't understand the sprinkled in dog references to appease the title...? Maybe it went over my head.
Thank you, Netgalley, publisher, and author for the ARC.
April 22, 2024
I received an advance galley of this book courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Last year, I read "The Guest" by Emma Cline and loved it. At the same time, many people hated it and felt that it meandered far too long and eventually went nowhere. I have a feeling that this book will be just as polarizing this year, and I hate to say it, but as much as I wanted to like this book, I'm going to be on the "what was this all for?" side of things.
The book focuses on El, a young 20-something who comes from a broken home. Since junior high, it's been El and her mother after her dad left her for the secret other family he'd been hiding from them. While in middle school, El befriends Julia and Anna, two rich, popular girls who take her under their wing and make someone out of El - or at least until middle school ends and Julia and Anna go to a private high school while EL goes to a performing arts high school. The three remained close, but as years passed, Anna moved on, and El and Julia rarely saw each other.
At the top of the novel, EL is working at a bakery and has finally decided to give up on her dream of becoming a famous actress. She's unsure of where her life is taking her, and when Julia invites her to a weekend at The Hamptons to celebrate Julia's birthday, she decides to leave her worries behind and have a little fun. A weekend with rich friends who have no cares in the world is just what EL needs. She can at least pretend she's one of them for a few days.
While there, El loses her wallet, and a man she briefly remembers from the party messages her on Facebook letting her know he found it. He lives in the city, and El agrees to meet him for drinks. Bryce (the dude) isn't exactly handsome, but he's super rich, and he seems smitten with El, so she agrees, and it's not long before the two are dating. El always saw herself becoming rich and famous with a gorgeous man by her side. She may be willing to give up the gorgeous man and fame if it means she could be financially free. What's wrong with being a kept woman? But then she learns something about Bryce that shakes her - he may not be the awkward, doting man she thought he was. But he's rich and gives El whatever she wants - maybe she can use this to her advantage?
The relationship between El and Bryce is at the heart of the story, and it is a twisted and compelling dynamic, but it doesn't build up to the suspenseful climax it could have. With his aura of wealth and privilege, Bryce exerts a magnetic pull on El, drawing her into his world of deceit and manipulation. As the layers of Bryce's true nature are peeled back, the reader is left questioning everything they thought they knew about him and about El herself. When El learned his secret, I felt for sure the book would (finally) move in a direction that would make me invested in her journey, but then El did what El did, and I was back to hating her.
One of the things that drew me to this book was that it sounded like it was going to be a thriller - in my opinion, it wasn't. It's nothing more than a story about a woman in her 30s who feels entitled and is pissed that she never became rich and famous. She had several chances to redeem herself along the way but refused to care about anyone or anything other than herself and what she felt she deserved. I felt zero connection to her and absolutely zero empathy. I also didn't care about Bryce or any other characters, and it's really difficult for me to enjoy a book when I don't care about anyone in it.
While some may find morally grey characters and unsettling themes off-putting, I typically love them (provided I can empathize with or see some humanity in one of the MCs). Lytle's unflinching exploration of power, wealth, and the lengths people will go to obtain them is both gripping and thought-provoking but gets lost in a plot that is almost as shallow as its characters. I mentioned Emma Cline's "The Guest" earlier, which had a somewhat similar protagonist, but the difference between that book and this one is that despite all of the crap that Alex (the protagonist in that book) did, I felt empathy toward her. She was messed up and made some horrible choices, but I still wanted her to be okay. Had El shown any sort of empathy for anyone other than herself, I may have liked this one more.
Last year, I read "The Guest" by Emma Cline and loved it. At the same time, many people hated it and felt that it meandered far too long and eventually went nowhere. I have a feeling that this book will be just as polarizing this year, and I hate to say it, but as much as I wanted to like this book, I'm going to be on the "what was this all for?" side of things.
The book focuses on El, a young 20-something who comes from a broken home. Since junior high, it's been El and her mother after her dad left her for the secret other family he'd been hiding from them. While in middle school, El befriends Julia and Anna, two rich, popular girls who take her under their wing and make someone out of El - or at least until middle school ends and Julia and Anna go to a private high school while EL goes to a performing arts high school. The three remained close, but as years passed, Anna moved on, and El and Julia rarely saw each other.
At the top of the novel, EL is working at a bakery and has finally decided to give up on her dream of becoming a famous actress. She's unsure of where her life is taking her, and when Julia invites her to a weekend at The Hamptons to celebrate Julia's birthday, she decides to leave her worries behind and have a little fun. A weekend with rich friends who have no cares in the world is just what EL needs. She can at least pretend she's one of them for a few days.
While there, El loses her wallet, and a man she briefly remembers from the party messages her on Facebook letting her know he found it. He lives in the city, and El agrees to meet him for drinks. Bryce (the dude) isn't exactly handsome, but he's super rich, and he seems smitten with El, so she agrees, and it's not long before the two are dating. El always saw herself becoming rich and famous with a gorgeous man by her side. She may be willing to give up the gorgeous man and fame if it means she could be financially free. What's wrong with being a kept woman? But then she learns something about Bryce that shakes her - he may not be the awkward, doting man she thought he was. But he's rich and gives El whatever she wants - maybe she can use this to her advantage?
The relationship between El and Bryce is at the heart of the story, and it is a twisted and compelling dynamic, but it doesn't build up to the suspenseful climax it could have. With his aura of wealth and privilege, Bryce exerts a magnetic pull on El, drawing her into his world of deceit and manipulation. As the layers of Bryce's true nature are peeled back, the reader is left questioning everything they thought they knew about him and about El herself. When El learned his secret, I felt for sure the book would (finally) move in a direction that would make me invested in her journey, but then El did what El did, and I was back to hating her.
One of the things that drew me to this book was that it sounded like it was going to be a thriller - in my opinion, it wasn't. It's nothing more than a story about a woman in her 30s who feels entitled and is pissed that she never became rich and famous. She had several chances to redeem herself along the way but refused to care about anyone or anything other than herself and what she felt she deserved. I felt zero connection to her and absolutely zero empathy. I also didn't care about Bryce or any other characters, and it's really difficult for me to enjoy a book when I don't care about anyone in it.
While some may find morally grey characters and unsettling themes off-putting, I typically love them (provided I can empathize with or see some humanity in one of the MCs). Lytle's unflinching exploration of power, wealth, and the lengths people will go to obtain them is both gripping and thought-provoking but gets lost in a plot that is almost as shallow as its characters. I mentioned Emma Cline's "The Guest" earlier, which had a somewhat similar protagonist, but the difference between that book and this one is that despite all of the crap that Alex (the protagonist in that book) did, I felt empathy toward her. She was messed up and made some horrible choices, but I still wanted her to be okay. Had El shown any sort of empathy for anyone other than herself, I may have liked this one more.
Read
February 24, 2024***Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of Man’s Best Friend .
And Thank you
***PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, for an an advanced digital ARC
I was excited for this book based on the title and was unfortunately disappointed.I found the way it was written to be very scattered and confusing. The main character El is very bland, and there is nothing about her, or her quid pro quo romance with Bryce that makes you want more of any of it . I feel the ideas were there, but the follow through and the character development was rushed and unfinished. I liked the descriptive writing used throughout allowing the reader to visualize the environmental factors surrounding the characters but needed more connection and interest in the characters themselves. I feel this writer has the absolute potential to make a really good novel , but needs to focus more on the direction of the story as well as deciding on which aspect of the story they are intending to be the most important in reference to the genre being more of a mystery, romance or just simple first person reflective journaling. With that said I look forward to future novels in hopes of getting this quality of writing along with a riveting story.
And Thank you
***PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, for an an advanced digital ARC
I was excited for this book based on the title and was unfortunately disappointed.I found the way it was written to be very scattered and confusing. The main character El is very bland, and there is nothing about her, or her quid pro quo romance with Bryce that makes you want more of any of it . I feel the ideas were there, but the follow through and the character development was rushed and unfinished. I liked the descriptive writing used throughout allowing the reader to visualize the environmental factors surrounding the characters but needed more connection and interest in the characters themselves. I feel this writer has the absolute potential to make a really good novel , but needs to focus more on the direction of the story as well as deciding on which aspect of the story they are intending to be the most important in reference to the genre being more of a mystery, romance or just simple first person reflective journaling. With that said I look forward to future novels in hopes of getting this quality of writing along with a riveting story.
April 2, 2024
A woman of modest means is impacted for life by attending an elite school for one year in 8th grade. Surrounded by wealth and privilege, El feels less than and spends most of the ensuing years trying to capture what the moneyed kids had.
When many years in the future El is maybe stalked by a wall street whiz, she puts her personal ethics aside to accept everything he's willing to give or provide for her. Even the mounting evidence of perhaps evil doing on the part of her provider isn't enough for El to turn away from her new status.
El was mostly unlikeable but I did enjoy her owning her true self in the end.
What didn't work for me was the dogs behaving badly intermittently throughout which was surely meant to convey something but alas, it confused the story for me.
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons and Netgalley for an early e-copy. All opinions are my own.
When many years in the future El is maybe stalked by a wall street whiz, she puts her personal ethics aside to accept everything he's willing to give or provide for her. Even the mounting evidence of perhaps evil doing on the part of her provider isn't enough for El to turn away from her new status.
El was mostly unlikeable but I did enjoy her owning her true self in the end.
What didn't work for me was the dogs behaving badly intermittently throughout which was surely meant to convey something but alas, it confused the story for me.
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons and Netgalley for an early e-copy. All opinions are my own.
October 26, 2023
ARC for review. TBP May 14, 2024.
El is befriended by wealthy girls Anna and Julia when they are in eighth grade. She is enamored with their lives of privilege and she tries to hold on to those ties even after they go on to separate high schools, colleges and adult lives. El attends a birthday party for Julia at Julia’s beach house at the Hamptons when the women are in their late twenties, El has recently given up her dreams of trying to make it as an actress and is at loose ends. A chance encounter has her meeting Bryce who contacts her upon their return to the city and the two fall into a relationship, but is this what’s best for El?
I liked the book, but the dog stuff….I didn’t get it. Maybe I’m just slow.
El is befriended by wealthy girls Anna and Julia when they are in eighth grade. She is enamored with their lives of privilege and she tries to hold on to those ties even after they go on to separate high schools, colleges and adult lives. El attends a birthday party for Julia at Julia’s beach house at the Hamptons when the women are in their late twenties, El has recently given up her dreams of trying to make it as an actress and is at loose ends. A chance encounter has her meeting Bryce who contacts her upon their return to the city and the two fall into a relationship, but is this what’s best for El?
I liked the book, but the dog stuff….I didn’t get it. Maybe I’m just slow.
September 12, 2023
* Special thanks to Penguin Group PUTNAM, NetGalley, and the author, Alana B. Lytle for an ARC of this book. Publication date: May 14, 2024*
The story follows 29 year old El who feels lost, directionless, and lonely. She struggles with a father who abandoned her, a mother who was physically there, but not emotionally, and toxic friendships in her adolescent years. This character is hurt, flawed, and unlikeable; however that is what makes her feel so real. Lytle did an incredible job in conveying how someone with a disorganized attachment would struggle with her relationship with self and others. El then meets another man and begins to sacrifice herself for the chance of feeling wanted and loved. The question then becomes how much is she willing to sacrifice?
This book made me feel slimy, afraid, and satisfied. I would definitely recommend this novel.
The story follows 29 year old El who feels lost, directionless, and lonely. She struggles with a father who abandoned her, a mother who was physically there, but not emotionally, and toxic friendships in her adolescent years. This character is hurt, flawed, and unlikeable; however that is what makes her feel so real. Lytle did an incredible job in conveying how someone with a disorganized attachment would struggle with her relationship with self and others. El then meets another man and begins to sacrifice herself for the chance of feeling wanted and loved. The question then becomes how much is she willing to sacrifice?
This book made me feel slimy, afraid, and satisfied. I would definitely recommend this novel.
February 12, 2024
El has failed in her dream to become an actress. She has always been on the fringe of the rich life. When she meets Bryce, she thinks all her dreams are coming true. Trips to Paris, black card luxuries,living in a NewYork loft etc..but what will she do when she finds out that Bryce has a darker side.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my opinion.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my opinion.
May 25, 2024
A slow-burn thriller
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This thriller is a slow burn for sure, and rife with metaphors. While you can definitely see some aspects of how the relationship is turning out, El’s development is fascinating to watch. 3.5 stars rounded down.
Thank you to goodreads and the publisher for my copy!
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This thriller is a slow burn for sure, and rife with metaphors. While you can definitely see some aspects of how the relationship is turning out, El’s development is fascinating to watch. 3.5 stars rounded down.
Thank you to goodreads and the publisher for my copy!
July 28, 2023
I don't know if I can do this story justice right now as I've been up all night with it, unable to tear my eyes away until the brutal, beautiful ending. El ( Heloise ) was abandoned by her father at a young age. He had another life, another partner, another daughter, and when he chose them El was forever marked. Never feeling good enough. Her father's rejection taints all her future relationships. With both men and women. This is a tale of desire and jealousy. Obsession, murder, mythology, morals, and the rage of women striving to be themselves , only themselves, no matter who that self may ultimately be. I hated El's callous attitude toward her friendships. I applauded Navya. Bryce just made me want to shower constantly. His character evoked an actual creepiness across my skin. This is a book that will be impossible to define or forget.
February 13, 2024
When I read that this novel was similar to "The Talented Mr. Ripley", I couldn't wait to read it. However Ripley was a character study which was focused and moved steadily towards a certain end. This book was kind of all over the place with the thriller aspects not appearing until late in the book. This is about a woman named El. El lives in the Williamsburg section of New York and is very unhappy with her life. She wanted to be an actress at one time but now at age 29 she is working at a bakery and feels like her chances to become famous have past. El is not very likable; she is rude to her roommate and her other friends and wants to hang out with her friends Anna and Julia only because they are wealthy. El herself grew up in a lower middle class home and when she got a scholarship to an expensive school for eighth grade she was taken in by Anna and Julia and now she hangs around them in order to go to parties and to a vacation house in the Hamptons.
At such a party, El meets a man named Bryce. She is not attracted to Bryce, but he appears to be rich and connected and when he offers to return her driver's license she left behind, the two begin a relationship. Once she is living with Bryce she finds he has a history of women he knows coming up dead and she tries to tell herself this is not something to do with Bryce himself. The book also has a strange running theme which is kind of science fiction by nature about dogs running away from their masters and becoming wild. I assume this is supposed to be symbolic of El in some way but it wasn't done well and just didn't make sense. The author also went into various side stories that veered away from the main mystery and just weren't interesting such as a story about the owners of a restaurant who needed money to keep going and a subplot involving a young man who was taken in by El's mother. I think the novel would have been better to leave out the dog stories and focus more on El's early life and to somehow give the readers a clue as to why she makes the decisions she does. The ending was somewhat unbelievable to me and I didn't have much of a reaction to El's decisions at that point. Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.
At such a party, El meets a man named Bryce. She is not attracted to Bryce, but he appears to be rich and connected and when he offers to return her driver's license she left behind, the two begin a relationship. Once she is living with Bryce she finds he has a history of women he knows coming up dead and she tries to tell herself this is not something to do with Bryce himself. The book also has a strange running theme which is kind of science fiction by nature about dogs running away from their masters and becoming wild. I assume this is supposed to be symbolic of El in some way but it wasn't done well and just didn't make sense. The author also went into various side stories that veered away from the main mystery and just weren't interesting such as a story about the owners of a restaurant who needed money to keep going and a subplot involving a young man who was taken in by El's mother. I think the novel would have been better to leave out the dog stories and focus more on El's early life and to somehow give the readers a clue as to why she makes the decisions she does. The ending was somewhat unbelievable to me and I didn't have much of a reaction to El's decisions at that point. Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.
April 22, 2024
Tell me a book is a thriller and I am there. Unfortunately, this was not a thriller, nor could I get into this book.
El had a short taste of being liked by two rich girls in middle school and now the rest of her life is built on being rich and deserving to be rich. She dreams of meeting a rich and handsome man and falling in love and marrying him. Even the falling in love is not a necessity. Who she does meet is a somewhat unattractive man, but he does seem to have the rich part, so one seems enough to placate her. I found the partying, drinking and drugging tedious and uninteresting to me. I unfortunately gave up on reading before finishing and thus never did find the ‘thriller’ I was seeking. Thank you Netgalley and G P Putnam for the arc. This may well be a book others will enjoy, but not for me.
El had a short taste of being liked by two rich girls in middle school and now the rest of her life is built on being rich and deserving to be rich. She dreams of meeting a rich and handsome man and falling in love and marrying him. Even the falling in love is not a necessity. Who she does meet is a somewhat unattractive man, but he does seem to have the rich part, so one seems enough to placate her. I found the partying, drinking and drugging tedious and uninteresting to me. I unfortunately gave up on reading before finishing and thus never did find the ‘thriller’ I was seeking. Thank you Netgalley and G P Putnam for the arc. This may well be a book others will enjoy, but not for me.
December 19, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher G. P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC of Man’s Best Friend.
I really thought I was going to enjoy this when I started. However, as the story continued, I stopped. The story line was just a little confusing and wasn’t at all what I thought going into it from the description. The MC was not at all relatable and I found her to be a little whiny. And the way it ended kinda left me with a bad feeling, like I needed to shower.
I really thought I was going to enjoy this when I started. However, as the story continued, I stopped. The story line was just a little confusing and wasn’t at all what I thought going into it from the description. The MC was not at all relatable and I found her to be a little whiny. And the way it ended kinda left me with a bad feeling, like I needed to shower.
March 3, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.
I DNF'd this book at about 12%. I got to the phrase "intriguing breasts" and just couldn't continue. Up to that point all the MC had done was moan and complain about her life and slack off of work because she wanted to be rich. There was nothing that made me want to continue reading.
I DNF'd this book at about 12%. I got to the phrase "intriguing breasts" and just couldn't continue. Up to that point all the MC had done was moan and complain about her life and slack off of work because she wanted to be rich. There was nothing that made me want to continue reading.
May 17, 2024
What compromises are you willing to make to secure the life you’ve always wanted?
El is not living the life of which she has always dreamed. Abandoned as a girl by her father, raised by a single mother who had to struggle to support them, El had the best year of her life in eighth grade when she spent a year at an exclusive private school. There, she was only too aware of being a scholarship student in second hand clothes amongst the children of the very wealthy, until the day that Julia and Anna made her their friend. Instant acceptance followed, as did summer days at Julia’s house in the Hamptons and other experiences of the very privileged. She wasn’t one of them, but she was allowed into their world. The girls’ paths diverged in high school but their friendship continued, although it became more sporadic as the years have passed. El is now in her late twenties, has finally given up pursuing an acting career due to her lack of any appreciable success, and shares a dingy apartment while working at a high end bakery. When Julia contacts her out of the blue to invite El to her birthday party, El jumps at the chance and heads out for the Hamptons beach house she has missed. There she meets Bryce, a rather morose but very wealthy man who soon makes his interest in her very clear. She doesn’t find him interesting, attractive, or even terribly likeable…..but finds it hard to resist the life he can offer her. Is this her happily-ever-after? Or is this a gift horse into whose mouth she definitely needs to look, and look hard?
I was intrigued by the premise of the book….who amongst us hasn’t been tempted to take the easy way out of life’s rough spots, after all? I didn't find El to be a very appealing character, though; in fact, I really didn’t like her much at all. She certainly didn't have it easy growing up, but she tends to use those difficulties as an excuse for her choices and behavior in the present. When her best friend from college Navya loses patience with her, I could only wonder why it took her so long to give up on the friendship. El also takes a lot of iffy behavior from Bryce in stride, even as friends and families point out the red flags. There is a theme that floats alongside El’s story arc, that of dogs running away from their owners, which never really connected for me. The basic thriller plot line was entertaining enough, but not particularly novel in concept. In the end, I would call it an average read that would appeal to readers of Carola Lovering, Ruth Ware and Liv Constantine. My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/G. P. Putnam’s Sons for allowing me early access to Man’s Best Friend.
El is not living the life of which she has always dreamed. Abandoned as a girl by her father, raised by a single mother who had to struggle to support them, El had the best year of her life in eighth grade when she spent a year at an exclusive private school. There, she was only too aware of being a scholarship student in second hand clothes amongst the children of the very wealthy, until the day that Julia and Anna made her their friend. Instant acceptance followed, as did summer days at Julia’s house in the Hamptons and other experiences of the very privileged. She wasn’t one of them, but she was allowed into their world. The girls’ paths diverged in high school but their friendship continued, although it became more sporadic as the years have passed. El is now in her late twenties, has finally given up pursuing an acting career due to her lack of any appreciable success, and shares a dingy apartment while working at a high end bakery. When Julia contacts her out of the blue to invite El to her birthday party, El jumps at the chance and heads out for the Hamptons beach house she has missed. There she meets Bryce, a rather morose but very wealthy man who soon makes his interest in her very clear. She doesn’t find him interesting, attractive, or even terribly likeable…..but finds it hard to resist the life he can offer her. Is this her happily-ever-after? Or is this a gift horse into whose mouth she definitely needs to look, and look hard?
I was intrigued by the premise of the book….who amongst us hasn’t been tempted to take the easy way out of life’s rough spots, after all? I didn't find El to be a very appealing character, though; in fact, I really didn’t like her much at all. She certainly didn't have it easy growing up, but she tends to use those difficulties as an excuse for her choices and behavior in the present. When her best friend from college Navya loses patience with her, I could only wonder why it took her so long to give up on the friendship. El also takes a lot of iffy behavior from Bryce in stride, even as friends and families point out the red flags. There is a theme that floats alongside El’s story arc, that of dogs running away from their owners, which never really connected for me. The basic thriller plot line was entertaining enough, but not particularly novel in concept. In the end, I would call it an average read that would appeal to readers of Carola Lovering, Ruth Ware and Liv Constantine. My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/G. P. Putnam’s Sons for allowing me early access to Man’s Best Friend.
March 22, 2024
In eighth grade, El was a scholarship kid at an elite private school in New York City where she met and was taken underwing by queen bee's Anna and Julia. That friendship was El's entrée into a life of wealth and privilege she'd never known but immediately coveted. In her 14 year-old mind the best route to riches was to become a famous actress, a dream she pursued without success. At 30, El is a failed actress turned unfulfilled bakery employee in search of a new path. That new path enters her life as Bryce Ripley-Batten. Bryce is not El's type. He's dopey, a bit creepy, but quite wealthy. El falls in line with the life Bryce plans for them, while knowing she'll never fall in love with him.
In the prologue, readers are introduced to a dog who longs to leave her home. Though her Ohio home is comfortable and her owner is a good man, she slinks out and runs for her freedom in pursuit of something bigger, something else. This subplot about the disloyal runaway dogs obviously represents El and several other disloyal characters in the novel. That same something else compels El to ignore the signs that Bryce is not a good choice. However, El has a history of making poor choices, there's little hope that she will change. And she doesn't. El is still that starry eyed 14 year-old girl who wants to be rich. Only by 30, she's no longer guided by a quiet desire for money and friends, but a hunger and desperation she could not have imagined as a child.
I had such high hopes for this book, but the plot and subplot don't really line up for me, and the characters are shallow and unlikable. The description of the book promises a story akin to The Talented Mr. Ripley, but that falls flat. There is nothing artful nor crafty in El's approach to social climbing. Bryce enters her life and the ever lazy El rolls over and gives herself to him - body and soul. There are a few uncanny moments in the novel, like when the dog jumps in front of the train and another dog attacks El's car, but those moments aren't enough to carry the novel. In the end I felt like I was being taught a lesson, not told a story. This novel began with promise but was a miss for me.
Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons, publisher, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In the prologue, readers are introduced to a dog who longs to leave her home. Though her Ohio home is comfortable and her owner is a good man, she slinks out and runs for her freedom in pursuit of something bigger, something else. This subplot about the disloyal runaway dogs obviously represents El and several other disloyal characters in the novel. That same something else compels El to ignore the signs that Bryce is not a good choice. However, El has a history of making poor choices, there's little hope that she will change. And she doesn't. El is still that starry eyed 14 year-old girl who wants to be rich. Only by 30, she's no longer guided by a quiet desire for money and friends, but a hunger and desperation she could not have imagined as a child.
I had such high hopes for this book, but the plot and subplot don't really line up for me, and the characters are shallow and unlikable. The description of the book promises a story akin to The Talented Mr. Ripley, but that falls flat. There is nothing artful nor crafty in El's approach to social climbing. Bryce enters her life and the ever lazy El rolls over and gives herself to him - body and soul. There are a few uncanny moments in the novel, like when the dog jumps in front of the train and another dog attacks El's car, but those moments aren't enough to carry the novel. In the end I felt like I was being taught a lesson, not told a story. This novel began with promise but was a miss for me.
Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons, publisher, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 21, 2024
In the book Man’s Best Friend we meet El who for most of her life was in aspiring actor she obsesses over everything and her main obsession is her eighth grade year at a private school where she meets Juliana and Anna. Both girls are from very Uber rich families and she considers herself a poor man’s Anna because they look so similar when out of the blue she is a invited to Giuliana‘s 30th birthday party at her Southampton home ,she despite working at a bakery and living paycheck to paycheck cannot resist the pull of the rich life and decides to go. This is where she will first meet Brice He works in finance and is also Uber Rich and despite else not being attracted to him she is attracted to the life he could give her and so decides to date him soon they’re living together it will be when he takes her to Paris where her friend Anna is now living that the mystery will begin because before they leave Paris Anna will have been murdered and although it effects L she doesn’t see Anna‘s death as the mystery it is until much later. If you notice I haven’t mentioned man’s best friend or a dog at all that’s because it was barely even a subplot and it is only a subplot in that it is mentioned in passing another words they mention someone was walking a dog or… L looks out the window and sees a dog barking at a man only in the beginning do we hear from a dog and her contemplation of leaving her master the rest is unlikable L her unlikable friends especially Emma Who especially after her big reveal I didn’t like. Usually when they have such an unlikable protagonist in the book I do not like the book either but the author has such a fresh and talented writing style I found myself not wanting to put the book down and read it all in one go. I know from a lot of reviews people didn’t like L and I myself as I said don’t like her either but they were many things she thought and choices she made but I totally understood where she was coming from. I was sad the book wasn’t about the dog but there’s lots of dog books I can go read to satisfy that itch, as far as mysteries and thrillers go this was a really good one I want to think penguin group Putnam and net Gali for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
January 20, 2024
Novels steeped in the toxicity of love are often breeding grounds for all sorts of unsettling feelings, and make for tense, thought-provoking reads. I love a relationship gone all wrong, so I knew that Alana B. Lytle’s debut, Man’s Best Friend, would be a book I would find intriguing.
Featuring the lives of the rich and aimless, Man’s Best Friend follows El, a failed actress, who jumps at the opportunity to get involved with Bryce, who just happens to belong to a wealthy and prominent family. Bryce (who is not particularly El’s type, but will do) opens doors for El, showing her a world that she has only caught glimpses of while hanging out with her (also wealthy) kind-of-sort-of best friends. As El discards more and more pieces of her life in favor of what Bryce has to offer, she isolates herself from everything and everyone that makes her who she is. As time goes on, El begins to wonder if she can truly trust Bryce … or is there something much more nefarious at play here?
Man’s Best Friend gives off major Tell Me Lies (a la Carola Lovering) vibes, and having loved that novel, I was excited about this book too. For the most part, Man’s Best Friend holds up, showcasing how women often lose themselves to codependency in toxic relationships, putting their entire heart and soul into men who will ultimately destroy them. On the other hand, Lytle (fun fact - the author is President Joe Biden’s niece!) doesn’t push the toxicity of this relationship quite far enough for me. Things between Bryce and El stay on fairly solid ground, although major trust issues are at play. While Bryce is no doubt a liar and manipulator, the book focuses more on how those traits manifested in his past relationships and obsessions, rather than in his current one with El.
Regardless, I still felt compelled to keep turning the pages of this dark and ominous read. Filled with characters you will love to hate, Man’s Best Friend exposes the scary side of love … or is it just obsession?
Recommended to fans of Tell Me Lies and You.
Featuring the lives of the rich and aimless, Man’s Best Friend follows El, a failed actress, who jumps at the opportunity to get involved with Bryce, who just happens to belong to a wealthy and prominent family. Bryce (who is not particularly El’s type, but will do) opens doors for El, showing her a world that she has only caught glimpses of while hanging out with her (also wealthy) kind-of-sort-of best friends. As El discards more and more pieces of her life in favor of what Bryce has to offer, she isolates herself from everything and everyone that makes her who she is. As time goes on, El begins to wonder if she can truly trust Bryce … or is there something much more nefarious at play here?
Man’s Best Friend gives off major Tell Me Lies (a la Carola Lovering) vibes, and having loved that novel, I was excited about this book too. For the most part, Man’s Best Friend holds up, showcasing how women often lose themselves to codependency in toxic relationships, putting their entire heart and soul into men who will ultimately destroy them. On the other hand, Lytle (fun fact - the author is President Joe Biden’s niece!) doesn’t push the toxicity of this relationship quite far enough for me. Things between Bryce and El stay on fairly solid ground, although major trust issues are at play. While Bryce is no doubt a liar and manipulator, the book focuses more on how those traits manifested in his past relationships and obsessions, rather than in his current one with El.
Regardless, I still felt compelled to keep turning the pages of this dark and ominous read. Filled with characters you will love to hate, Man’s Best Friend exposes the scary side of love … or is it just obsession?
Recommended to fans of Tell Me Lies and You.
March 24, 2024
This is a solid read with some great aspects, but a few drawbacks.
The plot kept me invested in El, the main character's, life and included a twist ending. I particularly enjoyed the world building of these elites on the Upper East Side in NYC. It was believable that El would understand the difference between Old and New Money and want to be a part of the Old Money world. El isn't a perfect character, and that's what makes her interesting, as it was easy to see the world through her eyes.
The pacing felt a little slow, and if you do not enjoy slice of life type of stories, this one is probably not for you. A bit more action or development during the earlier part of the book could have kept me even more engaged. The "suspense" part of the book happens very late into the novel. It would have been nice for it to not be such a jarring thing that happened but slow build with hints throughout the first part of the novel of what's to come. It also felt a bit disjointed. The dog portions and references seemed like tangents tacked on at the end in an attempt to tie the whole story together. There are also aspects of the world mentioned very briefly in passing that make it seem like it is not the present, but the times mentioned in the book make it very clearly the present (social media merger). This made for a strange real but not real setting that was, at times, hard to understand/imagine.
Overall, if you enjoy books that highlight a slice of a person's life, you will probably enjoy this. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a very slow burn. Particularly those who enjoy the classic works of Henry James. It bears a lot of similar hallmarks to his work - slow burn, crescendo, and then an almost flatline ending (not necessarily in a bad way). Despite the minor pacing issue, I would still recommend this book to fans of the suspense genre who enjoy a fun twist ending.
This book really is a peek inside one character's world, and if you enjoy those types of books, I think you might like this one, too.
The plot kept me invested in El, the main character's, life and included a twist ending. I particularly enjoyed the world building of these elites on the Upper East Side in NYC. It was believable that El would understand the difference between Old and New Money and want to be a part of the Old Money world. El isn't a perfect character, and that's what makes her interesting, as it was easy to see the world through her eyes.
The pacing felt a little slow, and if you do not enjoy slice of life type of stories, this one is probably not for you. A bit more action or development during the earlier part of the book could have kept me even more engaged. The "suspense" part of the book happens very late into the novel. It would have been nice for it to not be such a jarring thing that happened but slow build with hints throughout the first part of the novel of what's to come. It also felt a bit disjointed. The dog portions and references seemed like tangents tacked on at the end in an attempt to tie the whole story together. There are also aspects of the world mentioned very briefly in passing that make it seem like it is not the present, but the times mentioned in the book make it very clearly the present (social media merger). This made for a strange real but not real setting that was, at times, hard to understand/imagine.
Overall, if you enjoy books that highlight a slice of a person's life, you will probably enjoy this. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a very slow burn. Particularly those who enjoy the classic works of Henry James. It bears a lot of similar hallmarks to his work - slow burn, crescendo, and then an almost flatline ending (not necessarily in a bad way). Despite the minor pacing issue, I would still recommend this book to fans of the suspense genre who enjoy a fun twist ending.
This book really is a peek inside one character's world, and if you enjoy those types of books, I think you might like this one, too.
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